The Japanese Association of School Health

Original Article

ISSN ONLINE : 1880-2400

[School Health Vol.14, 12-20 ,2018]

Negative Mood, Hope for the Future and Social Capital among Young Japanese: A Secondary Analysis of Individual Data

Tomomi Abe*, Jun Aida** and Ken Osaka**

  • *Faculty of Nursing, Hirosaki Gakuin University,
  • tomomi@hirogaku-u.ac.jp
  • **Department of International and Community Oral Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry

Received February 17, 2017 ; Accepted March 12, 2018

Keywords:
Mental health, Social capital, Youth

Free PDF

Abstracts

Background: In recent years, many young Japanese people have suffered from mental health problems leading to suicide. Social capital is considered to be an important factor affecting mental health and wellbeing.

Objective: We aimed to clarify how social capital is related to negative mood and hope for the future among Japanese youth.

Methods: A secondary analysis of individual data from a web-based survey (13–29 years old, 1175 Japanese respondents) was conducted. The data for this secondary analysis, “International Survey of Youth Attitude, 2013” (Office for Policy Planning on Youth Affairs, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan) was provided by the Social Science Japan Data Archive, Center for Social Research and Data Archives, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo.

Results: Female respondents had a higher proportion of negative mood than males did. However, male respondents had a lower proportion of hope for the future than females did. Logistic regression analysis showed that negative mood was inversely correlated with trust in both males and females. Hope for the future was positively correlated with trust, reciprocity, the number of close friends, and the number of people with whom the individual wanted to consult.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that the attempt to enhance social capital would improve mental health and hope for the future among Japanese youth.

References

  • 1) Cabinet Office Government of Japan: 2015 White paper on suicide prevention in Japan. 2015. Available at: http://www8.cao.go.jp/jisatsutaisaku/whitepaper/w-2015/pdf/honbun/index.html. Accessed April 1, 2016 (in Japanese)
  • 2) Takahashi Y: Suicide prevention program for teachers. In: Takahashi Y, Arai H, Kikuchi M et al. eds. Suicide prevention manual for youths, New revised and enlarged edition, 46-91, kongo shuppan, Tokyo, 2008 (in Japanese)
  • 3) Japan Student Services Organization: Student life survey 2012. 2012. Available at: http://www.jasso.go.jp/about/statistics/gakusei_chosa/2012.html. Accessed January 27, 2017 (in Japanese)
  • 4) National Federation of University Co-operative Associations: Consciousness survey of college students 2014. In: National Federation of University Co-operative Associations, 27-28, 2015 (in Japanese)
  • 5) Oxford University Press: The Oxford English dictionary, 2nd Edition, 376-377, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1989
  • 6) Genda Y: The data on Japanese hope. In: Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, Genda Y, Uno S, eds. Social sciences of hope 1 speaking of hope: towards a new horizon in the social sciences, 128-172, University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, 2009 (in Japanese)
  • 7) Weis R, Speridakos CE: A meta-analysis of hope enhancement strategies in clinical and community settings. Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice 1: 5, 2011 DOI: 10.1186/2211-1522-1-5
  • 8) Griggs S: Hope and mental health in young adult college students: an integrative review. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services 55: 28-35, 2017
  • 9) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: How's life? 2013 measuring well-being. 2013. Available at: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/how-s-life-2013_9789264201392-en. Accessed January 27, 2017
  • 10) Ehsan AM, De Silva MJ: Social capital and common mental disorder: a systematic review. Journal of Epidemiol & Community Health 69: 1021-1028, 2015
  • 11) Kawachi I, Berkman LF: Social capital, social cohesion, and health. In: Berkman LF, Kawachi I, Glymour MM, eds. Social epidemiology, 2nd Edition, 290-319, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014
  • 12) Putnam RD, Leonardi R, Nanetti RY: Making democracy work: civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton paperbacks, 163-185, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1994
  • 13) Harpham T: The measurement of community social capital through surveys. In: Kawachi I, Subramanian SV, Kim D, eds. Social capital and health, 51-62, Springer, New York, 2008
  • 14) Kawachi I, Subramanian SV, Kim D: Social capital and health: a decade of progress and beyond. In: Kawachi I, Subramanian SV, Kim D, eds. Social capital and health, 1-26, Springer, New York, 2008
  • 15) Lakon CM, Godette D, Hipp J: Network-based approaches for measuring social capital. In: Kawachi I, Subramanian SV, Kim D, eds. Social capital and health, 63-81, Springer, New York, 2008
  • 16) McPherson KE, Kerr S, McGee E et al.: The association between social capital and mental health and behavioural problems in children and adolescents: an integrative systematic review. BMC Psychology 2: 7, 2014 DOI: 10.1186/2050-7283-2-7
  • 17) Vyncke V, De Clercq B, Stevens V et al.: Does neighbourhood social capital aid in levelling the social gradient in the health and well-being of children and adolescents?: a literature review. BMC Public Health 13: 65, 2013 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-65
  • 18) Virtanen M, Ervasti J, Oksanen T et al.: Social capital in schools. In: Kawachi I, Takao S, Subramanian SV, eds. Global perspectives on social capital and health, 65-85, Springer, New York, 2013
  • 19) McPherson KE, Kerr S, Morgan A et al.: The association between family and community social capital and health risk behaviours in young people: an integrative review. BMC Public Health 13: 971, 2013 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-971
  • 20) Yamaguchi A: Influences of social capital on health and well-being from qualitative approach. Global Journal Health Science 5: 153-161, 2013
  • 21) Haga M, Takano K, Sakamoto S: The role of socio-meter to mediate subjective well-being and social capital in university life. Psychological Research, Nihon University 36: 16-25, 2015 (in Japanese with English abstract)
  • 22) Murayama H, Fujiwara Y, Kawachi I: Social capital and health: a review of prospective multilevel studies. Journal of Epidemiol 22: 179-187, 2012
  • 23) Wold Health Organization: Preventing suicide a resource for teachers and other school staff. 2000. Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/resources/preventingsuicide/en/.Accessed January 27, 2017
  • 24) American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5, 5th Edition, 160-168, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, Washington DC, 2013
  • 25) Kessler RC, Andrews G, Colpe LJ et al.: Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in nonspecific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine 32: 959-976, 2002
  • 26) Goldberg DP, Hillier VF: A scaled version of the general health questionnaire. Psychological Medicine 9: 139-145, 1979
  • 27) Radloff LS: The CES-D scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurements 1: 385-401, 1977
  • 28) Gaag M, Webber M: Measurement of Iniviual social capital: questions, instruments, and measures. In: Kawachi I, Subramanian SV, Kim D, eds. Social capital and health, 29-50, Springer, New York, 2008
  • 29) Takakura M, Hamabata Y, Ueji M et al.: Measurement of social capital at school and neighborhood among young people. Jornal of School Health 10: 1-8, 2014
  • 30) Cabinet Office Government of Japan: Consciousness survey on suicide prevention 2011. 2011. Available at: http://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000131495.html. Accessed January 27, 2017 (in Japanese)

▲ Go to top of page